From CFL America Radio, sports journalist Scott Adamson, along with fellow enthusiast and armchair historian Greg James, take a hot read with guests on the history, remembrances, culture, lore, legends and meaning of pro football around the world. Every few weeks the pair will sit down with authors who, through their books, have given all of us a close up look and perspective at the game we have grown up with and enjoy no matter where on the map we may call home, be it in Tokyo cheering for the Roughriders, in America's south rooting for the J E T S, or in Chicago cheering for Da Bears. What has brought Scott and Greg together has been their love of professional football not just in America, but in Canada where Americans make up many of the players and who for too long have gone unrecognized in their native land. In their podcast they will take on a global view of the game and seek to entertain and educate on what the game means to those who have the same passion as they do and also in the larger context of history and sports economics in the 21st Century. Host- Scott Adamson Scott Adamson hails from Birmingham, Alabama, known as the "Football Capital of the South" and a place that has hosted more pro football teams than just about any other city, none of which have been in the NFL and all that have failed. Quickly. As veteran sportswriter he can attest that being a fan, no matter the brand of team is the triumph of hope over experience. Having decided at an early age that tackle football was the greatest sport man had yet to invent, Scott took on a fan's-eye view of life with Brand X football in his book "The Home Team: My Bromance with Off-Brand Football," which is a funny, somewhat tortured, journey of a fanatic's lifelong quest for a hometown team of his own. Host- Greg James Greg James hails from Chicago, Illinois, which he describes as the "Pro Football Capital of America" as it was where the NFL's oldest teams were birthed on the dirt infields of Comiskey Park and Wrigley Field. Unlike Scott, Greg is far from a professional sportswriter, but he is an armchair pro football historian who aspires in his retirement to be a sports journalist and tell the stories yet untold of gridiron football around the world. Greg is a big fan of Howard Cosell who in his own 25 year career as a navy intelligence officer made a concerted effort to emulate Howard in "telling it like it is." Additionally, Greg is an avid computer simulation football enthusiast who has found in the game a way to keep the past truly alive.
Which International Gridiron League is the Best?
From the 55 Yardline is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARYOur Greg St. James is also the host of the Gridiron Japan podcast, and sits down with his cohost, John Gunning, of Inside Sport Japan, to chat with quarterback Aaron Ellis, of Japan's X-League's Dentsu Caterpillars, to talk about his experiences in playing in Japan, Europe, and Mexico. He compares the X-League with the European League of Football and Mexico's Liga-de Fútbol Americano, where has played, and in doing so holds the distinction of being the only professional football player to have played in all three major international leagues outside of Canada and the United States.Gridiron Japan livestreams over at Gridiron Japan Television on YouTube at www.gridironjapantv.net, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GridironJapan.jp, and soon over on Twitch!FROM THE 55 YARD LINE BACKGROUNDFrom the 55 Yardline is anchored by former rugby player and sports executive David Cieslinski, who resides near the Canadian border, and retired naval intelligence and information warfare officer Greg St. James, who resides in Japan (he is also the co-host of the Gridiron Japan podcast). Both are avid armchair sports historians and sports simulation enthusiasts, who, despite the vastness of geography, have found a way to leverage technology to help keep the games they love truly alive, both on the screen and on the internet airwaves. In addition to Dave and Greg, From the 55 Yardline also features veteran journalist and contributor Fran Stuchbury, of https://OurSportsCentral.com, where he writes extensively on the happenings in minor league sports.The show was previously co-hosted by retired sports journalist Scott Adamson, whose continued writings. sports coverage and articles can be found at https://www.Adamsonmedia.com. David, Greg, and Fran can be contacted directly via the podcast's Twitter account at https://www.twitter.com/Fromthe55.
7/24/2024 • 1 hour, 39 minutes, 33 seconds
Back On The Air!
From the 55 Yard Line is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARYGreg, now back from America and settled back in over in Japan, dusts off the controls in the studio, and gathers the crew to talk about what has been happening in the WNBA, NWSL, CFL and the other leagues, including the UFL, since last they got together in May.We are in need of an additional 24 followers for our Facebook page- https://www.facebook.com/Fromthe55 so that we can go live on our page. The new Facebook rules require 100 subscribers and followers for pages to be able to stream content live, and we are 24 clicks short.FROM THE 55 YARD LINE BACKGROUNDFrom the 55 Yardline is anchored by former rugby player and sports executive David Cieslinski, who resides near the Canadian border, and retired naval intelligence and information warfare officer Greg St. James, who resides in Japan (he is also the co-host of the Gridiron Japan podcast). Both are avid armchair sports historians and sports simulation enthusiasts, who, despite the vastness of geography, have found a way to leverage technology to help keep the games they love truly alive, both on the screen and on the internet airwaves. In addition to Dave and Greg, From the 55 Yardline also features veteran journalist and contributor Fran Stuchbury, of https://OurSportsCentral.com, where he writes extensively on the happenings in minor league sports.The show was previously co-hosted by retired sports journalist Scott Adamson, whose continued writings. sports coverage and articles can be found at https://www.Adamsonmedia.com. David, Greg, and Fran can be contacted directly via the podcast's Twitter account at https://www.twitter.com/Fromthe55.
7/13/2024 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 11 seconds
SHN Presents: This Day in Sports History - SHN Trailers
When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.HIGHLIGHTED SHOW: THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORYRelive the greatest moments in sports every day of the year. From the triumphs to the tragedies, the first to do it to the last time it happened, the unbelievable to the strange, This Day in Sports History is a 365-day journey remembering those significant events that made a lasting impact. HOST: STEVE WHITESteve White has spent most of his life behind a microphone. As a kid, he realized the power of the spoken word, hanging out with his dad while the pair talked to people around the world via ham radio.Later, Steve put that penchant for communication into practice and ventured into radio and TV. He worked for a few television stations in North Carolina doing sports reporting and anchoring before transitioning to voiceover in 2015. He’s voiced more than 80 audiobooks in a variety of genres.He’s never been much for awards, probably due to the fact he’s never won any but he loves the challenge of diving into new projects. His ‘This Day in Sports History’ evolved from a lifetime of watching, listening to, and going to ballgames, reading books, magazines, and newspaper articles about his favorite teams and sports heroes. It’s not only a labor of love but a voyage of discovery, finding those forgotten tidbits or fascinating things he never knew.Learn more about the show on the Sports History Network.
6/26/2024 • 2 minutes, 56 seconds
2024 CFL Preview
From the 55 Yardline is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARYGreg and Dave are joined by Don and Heath of the Third Down Gamble podcast for the second year in a row to preview, here in the third week of the preseason, the upcoming CFL season. We start in the far east with defending Grey Cup champion Montreal and move our way west, team by team, and end with this year's Grey Cup host, the British Columbia Lions. The Third Down Gamble is going on five years and truly is "audio worth watching!"FROM THE 55 YARD LINE BACKGROUNDFrom the 55 Yardline is anchored by former rugby player and sports executive David Cieslinski, who resides near the Canadian border, and retired naval intelligence and information warfare officer Greg St. James, who resides in Japan (he is also the co-host of the Gridiron Japan podcast). Both are avid armchair sports historians and sports simulation enthusiasts, who, despite the vastness of geography, have found a way to leverage technology to help keep the games they love truly alive, both on the screen and on the internet airwaves. In addition to Dave and Greg, From the 55 Yardline also features veteran journalist and contributor Fran Stuchbury, of https://OurSportsCentral.com, where he writes extensively on the happenings in minor league sports.The show was previously co-hosted by retired sports journalist Scott Adamson, whose continued writings. sports coverage and articles can be found at https://www.Adamsonmedia.com. David, Greg, and Fran can be contacted directly via the podcast's Twitter account at https://www.twitter.com/Fromthe55.
5/30/2024 • 1 hour, 30 minutes, 35 seconds
Is It June Yet?
From the 55 Yardline is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARYPlease pardon the audio difficulties. In this episode, Dave, Fran and Greg, on a Mother's Day in Japan, sit down to talk spring football with the Arena Football League Ponzi scheme beginning its implosion, and the United Football League seemingly finding a small hard core audience on network television. They also talk about the Canadian game as the fate of Chad Kelly in Toronto has been decided by the Argos, as well as the Japanese game with the ass whipping by the KG Fighters by the Southern Oregon Raiders in a college football friendly. Lastly they also talk AHL hockey, women's basketball, and much more.FROM THE 55 YARD LINE BACKGROUNDFrom the 55 Yardline is anchored by former rugby player and sports executive David Cieslinski, who resides near the Canadian border, and retired naval intelligence and information warfare officer Greg St. James, who resides in Japan (he is also the co-host of the Gridiron Japan podcast). Both are avid armchair sports historians and sports simulation enthusiasts, who, despite the vastness of geography, have found a way to leverage technology to help keep the games they love truly alive, both on the screen and on the internet airwaves. In addition to Dave and Greg, From the 55 Yardline also features veteran journalist and contributor Fran Stuchbury, of https://OurSportsCentral.com, where he writes extensively on the happenings in minor league sports.The show was previously co-hosted by retired sports journalist Scott Adamson, whose continued writings. sports coverage and articles can be found at https://www.Adamsonmedia.com. David, Greg, and Fran can be contacted directly via the podcast's Twitter account at https://www.twitter.com/Fromthe55.
5/13/2024 • 1 hour, 14 minutes, 10 seconds
Spring Football Review
From the 55 Yardline is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARYFran, Dave and Greg are back to discuss the impending failure that is the new version of the Arena Football League, as it struggles with franchise losses in just its first week. They then discuss the United Football League, which is seemingly holding its own in the face of low expectations. For more online about the UFL, checkout Fran's column's on the league over at OurSportsCentral.com, where he writes a weekly column about the league, as well as other minor league sports. They guys also discuss both the recently completed NFL and CFL drafts, as well as the news from Roger Goodell that the Super Bowl will soon be more of a national holiday than what it already is in America. FROM THE 55 YARD LINE BACKGROUNDFrom the 55 Yardline is anchored by former rugby player and sports executive David Cieslinski, who resides near the Canadian border, and retired naval intelligence and information warfare officer Greg St. James, who resides in Japan (he is also the co-host of the Gridiron Japan podcast). Both are avid armchair sports historians and sports simulation enthusiasts, who, despite the vastness of geography, have found a way to leverage technology to help keep the games they love truly alive, both on the screen and on the internet airwaves. In addition to Dave and Greg, From the 55 Yardline also features veteran journalist and contributor Fran Stuchbury, of https://OurSportsCentral.com, where he writes extensively on the happenings in minor league sports.The show was previously co-hosted by retired sports journalist Scott Adamson, whose continued writings. sports coverage and articles can be found at https://www.Adamsonmedia.com. David, Greg, and Fran can be contacted directly via the podcast's Twitter account at https://www.twitter.com/Fromthe55.
5/2/2024 • 1 hour, 18 minutes, 11 seconds
The UFL- Reality vs. Perception
From the 55 Yardline is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARYWith Fran on assignment and covering the UFL for OurSportsCentral.com, Dave fills in Greg on what he is missing with the league and puts to rest his doubts about the viability of the league, at least for the short-term. They also reminisce about the time when OJ was a killer on the field, and when he was a suspect off of it. Finally, they talk about the Shohei Otani gambling scandal in which Greg injects his "expert" opinion on the outcome of the federal case involving the star's interpreter.FROM THE 55 YARD LINE BACKGROUNDFrom the 55 Yardline is anchored by former rugby player and sports executive David Cieslinski, who resides near the Canadian border, and retired naval intelligence and information warfare officer Greg St. James, who resides in Japan (he is also the co-host of the Gridiron Japan podcast). Both are avid armchair sports historians and sports simulation enthusiasts, who, despite the vastness of geography, have found a way to leverage technology to help keep the games they love truly alive, both on the screen and on the internet airwaves. In addition to Dave and Greg, From the 55 Yardline also features veteran journalist and contributor Fran Stuchbury, of https://OurSportsCentral.com, where he writes extensively on the happenings in minor league sports.The show was previously co-hosted by retired sports journalist Scott Adamson, whose continued writings. sports coverage and articles can be found at https://www.Adamsonmedia.com. David, Greg, and Fran can be contacted directly via the podcast's Twitter account at https://www.twitter.com/Fromthe55.
4/19/2024 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 43 seconds
Pete Rose Says Put It All On The Dodgers
From the 55 Yardline is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARYFran is MIA, as Dave and Greg (whose new microphone is trash and being returned soon to Amazon) tackle baseball and the Shohei Otani gambling scandal, with zero apologies to Pete Rose, that is currently rocking America and Japan. Of course Greg is able to cram in a mention of the movie "Mr. Baseball." They also talk some minor league ball, and ponder what we might see for the upcoming United Football League season.FROM THE 55 YARD LINE BACKGROUNDFrom the 55 Yardline is anchored by former rugby player and sports executive David Cieslinski, who resides near the Canadian border, and retired naval intelligence and information warfare officer Greg St. James, who resides in Japan (he is also the co-host of the Gridiron Japan podcast). Both are avid armchair sports historians and sports simulation enthusiasts, who, despite the vastness of geography, have found a way to leverage technology to help keep the games they love truly alive, both on the screen and on the internet airwaves. In addition to Dave and Greg, From the 55 Yardline also features veteran journalist and contributor Fran Stuchbury, of https://OurSportsCentral.com, where he writes extensively on the happenings in minor league sports.The show was previously co-hosted by retired sports journalist Scott Adamson, whose continued writings. sports coverage and articles can be found at https://www.Adamsonmedia.com. David, Greg, and Fran can be contacted directly via the podcast's Twitter account at https://www.twitter.com/Fromthe55.
3/24/2024 • 1 hour, 16 seconds
Sweet Home Chicago
From the 55 Yardline is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARYOn the 3rd week of the LFA regular season, what was to be a Gridiron Mexico episode was immediately changed as a result of the breaking news of Justin Fields being traded from Greg's sweet home of Chicago to Pittsburgh. Dave and Greg talk about the trade, as well as the stadium issues faced by Chicago's south side teams. They also talk about the state of the CFL, particularly the Elks ownership issues, and their observations about the LFA as it enters in to its third week of the spring football season.FROM THE 55 YARD LINE BACKGROUNDFrom the 55 Yardline is anchored by former rugby player and sports executive David Cieslinski, who resides near the Canadian border, and retired naval intelligence and information warfare officer Greg St. James, who resides in Japan (he is also the co-host of the Gridiron Japan podcast). Both are avid armchair sports historians and sports simulation enthusiasts, who, despite the vastness of geography, have found a way to leverage technology to help keep the games they love truly alive, both on the screen and on the internet airwaves. In addition to Dave and Greg, From the 55 Yardline also features veteran journalist and contributor Fran Stuchbury, of https://OurSportsCentral.com, where he writes extensively on the happenings in minor league sports.The show was previously co-hosted by retired sports journalist Scott Adamson, whose continued writings. sports coverage and articles can be found at https://www.Adamsonmedia.com. David, Greg, and Fran can be contacted directly via the podcast's Twitter account at https://www.twitter.com/Fromthe55.
3/16/2024 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 41 seconds
Catching Up With Our Man Fran
From the 55 Yard Line is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARYSince the end of the NFL season there has been a lot going on outside of the gridiron bubble, and our regular contributor Fran Stuchbury covers it all over at Our Sports Central with his weekly column. With Dave unavailable, Fran reviews the happenings in the other leagues as the two talk about what is happening in the world of minor league sports. FROM THE 55 YARD LINE BACKGROUNDFrom the 55 Yardline is anchored by former rugby player and sports executive David Cieslinski, who resides near the Canadian border, and retired naval intelligence and information warfare officer Greg St. James, who resides in Japan (he is also the co-host of the Gridiron Japan podcast). Both are avid armchair sports historians and sports simulation enthusiasts, who, despite the vastness of geography, have found a way to leverage technology to help keep the games they love truly alive, both on the screen and on the internet airwaves. In addition to Dave and Greg, From the 55 Yardline also features veteran journalist and contributor Fran Stuchbury, of https://OurSportsCentral.com, where he writes extensively on the happenings in minor league sports.The show was previously co-hosted by retired sports journalist Scott Adamson, whose continued writings. sports coverage and articles can be found at https://www.Adamsonmedia.com. David, Greg, and Fran can be contacted directly via the podcast's Twitter account at https://www.twitter.com/Fromthe55.
3/8/2024 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 46 seconds
An All CFL Show, with Howie Mooney
From the 55 Yardline is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear. The video livestream for this episode and past ones can be found on both the show's YouTube and Facebook pagesEPISODE SUMMARYWith approximately three months to go before the kick off of the Canadian Football League season, Greg and Dave sit back down with Howie Mooney in the second "test" livestream and talk CFL free agency. In addition to free agency the also talk some CFL history and even squeeze in some Montreal Expos memories. Howie Mooney, co-host of the Sports Lunatics Show, is the author of numerous books, including "Third & Long: the Proud History of Football in Ottawa", "Crazy Days & Wild Nights". and "More Crazy Days & Wild Nights".FROM THE 55 YARDLINE BACKGROUNDFrom the 55 Yardline is anchored by former rugby player and sports executive David Cieslinski, who resides near the Canadian border, and retired naval intelligence and information warfare officer Greg St. James, who resides in Japan (he is also the co-host of the Gridiron Japan podcast). Both are avid armchair sports historians and sports simulation enthusiasts, who, despite the vastness of geography, have found a way to leverage technology to help keep the games they love truly alive, both on the screen and on the internet airwaves. In addition to Dave and Greg, From the 55 Yardline also features veteran journalist and contributor Fran Stuchbury, of https://OurSportsCentral.com, where he writes extensively on the happenings in minor league sports.The show was previously co-hosted by retired sports journalist Scott Adamson, whose continued writings. sports coverage and articles can be found at https://www.Adamsonmedia.com. David, Greg, and Fran can be contacted directly via the podcast's Twitter account at https://www.twitter.com/Fromthe55.
2/22/2024 • 1 hour, 27 minutes, 37 seconds
More Crazy Days and Wild Nights With Howie Mooney
From the 55 Yardline is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARYHowie Mooney from the Sports Lunatics Show returns to the 55 Yardline to chat with Dave and Greg about his latest book, "More Crazy Days and Wild Nights" in which he again regals readers with more outlandish and detailed detailed stories of wild events that took place over the last fifty years! The guys also get back to the roots of the show and talk Canadian football. With more Canadian football talk and perspective promised for the months ahead on the show, as he recovers from surgery.FROM THE 55 YARDLINE BACKGROUNDFrom the 55 Yardline is anchored by former rugby player and sports executive David Cieslinski, who resides near the Canadian border, and retired naval intelligence and information warfare officer Greg St. James, who resides in Japan (he is also the co-host of the Gridiron Japan podcast). Both are avid armchair sports historians and sports simulation enthusiasts, who, despite the vastness of geography, have found a way to leverage technology to help keep the games they love truly alive, both on the screen and on the internet airwaves. In addition to Dave and Greg, From the 55 Yardline also features veteran journalist and contributor Fran Stuchbury, of https://OurSportsCentral.com, where he writes extensively on the happenings in minor league sports.The show was previously co-hosted by retired sports journalist Scott Adamson, whose continued writings. sports coverage and articles can be found at https://www.Adamsonmedia.com. David, Greg, and Fran can be contacted directly via the podcast's Twitter account at https://www.twitter.com/Fromthe55.
2/15/2024 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 41 seconds
Why Do Old White Guys Hate Taylor?
From the 55 Yardline is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARYOn Super Bowl eve, Dave and Fran, along with OurSportsCentral.com contributor Fran Stuchbury, talk a little bit about the upcoming game, with Greg pondering the question, "why do old white guys hate Taylor?" Fran then provides his summary of around the minor leagues, and talks about his recent trip to Atlanta to sample the minor league sports scene in the Peach state. Lastly, they talk about the Pro Football Hall of Fame selectees, particularly those who played on the Chicago Bears. specifically Mongo, and also address the direct messages from followers on Twitter, who may or may not be bots.FROM THE 55 YARDLINE BACKGROUNDFrom the 55 Yardline is anchored by former rugby player and sports executive David Cieslinski, who resides near the Canadian border, and retired naval intelligence and information warfare officer Greg St. James, who resides in Japan (he is also the co-host of the Gridiron Japan podcast). Both are avid armchair sports historians and sports simulation enthusiasts, who, despite the vastness of geography, have found a way to leverage technology to help keep the games they love truly alive, both on the screen and on the internet airwaves. In addition to Dave and Greg, From the 55 Yardline also features veteran journalist and contributor Fran Stuchbury, of https://OurSportsCentral.com, where he writes extensively on the happenings in minor league sports.The show was previously co-hosted by retired sports journalist Scott Adamson, whose continued writings. sports coverage and articles can be found at https://www.Adamsonmedia.com. David, Greg, and Fran can be contacted directly via the podcast's Twitter account at https://www.twitter.com/Fromthe55.
2/9/2024 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 15 seconds
A Conversation With Mark Speck, World Football League Historian
From the 55 Yard Line is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARYGreg and Dave spend a morning (Japan)/evening (America) with Pro Football Researchers Association member and World Football League historian Mark Speck. Mark is the foremost expert on the defunct league and has written four books and counting on the league and two of the league's more unique franchises, the Detroit Wheels and Florida Blazers. The conversation runs the gambit from a story of stolen player identity, the legend of King Corcoran, the fabled Hawaiians, and much more! You can find all of Mark's books for purchase on Amazon, and also connect with he and other WFL experts over at the WFL Project on Facebook, and the Florida Blazers page, also on Facebook.Mark also previously appeared on the sports history podcast "Good Seats Still Available," with friend of the show Tim Hanlon, at Good Seats Still Available, the episode of which is a must listen!FROM THE 55 YARD LINE BACKGROUNDFrom the 55 Yardline is anchored by former rugby player and sports executive David Cieslinski, who resides near the Canadian border, and retired naval intelligence and information warfare officer Greg St. James, who resides in Japan (he is also the co-host of the Gridiron Japan podcast). Both are avid armchair sports historians and sports simulation enthusiasts, who, despite the vastness of geography, have found a way to leverage technology to help keep the games they love truly alive, both on the screen and on the internet airwaves. In addition to Dave and Greg, From the 55 Yardline also features veteran journalist and contributor Fran Stuchbury, of https://OurSportsCentral.com, where he writes extensively on the happenings in minor league sports.The show was previously co-hosted by retired sports journalist Scott Adamson, whose continued writings. sports coverage and articles can be found at https://www.Adamsonmedia.com. David, Greg, and Fran can be contacted directly via the podcast's Twitter account at https://www.twitter.com/Fromthe55.
1/31/2024 • 1 hour, 57 minutes, 10 seconds
A Conversation With Zach Keilman
From the 55 Yardline is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARYIn this episode, which is part two of the previous episode, Greg sits down with Zach Keilman of Pro Football Newsroom, the UFL Podcast, and the Inside the Walls Podcast, to talk about the upcoming year in spring professional football, both outdoor with the UFL and indoor with the relaunched Arena Football League. Zach and Greg also reminisce about how they came to launch the Gridiron Japan podcast. FROM THE 55 YARD LINE BACKGROUNDFrom the 55 Yardline is anchored by former rugby player and sports executive David Cieslinski, who resides near the Canadian border, and retired naval intelligence and information warfare officer Greg St. James, who resides in Japan (he is also the co-host of the Gridiron Japan podcast). Both are avid armchair sports historians and sports simulation enthusiasts, who, despite the vastness of geography, have found a way to leverage technology to help keep the games they love truly alive, both on the screen and on the internet airwaves. In addition to Dave and Greg, From the 55 Yardline also features veteran journalist and contributor Fran Stuchbury, of https://OurSportsCentral.com, where he writes extensively on the happenings in minor league sports.The show was previously co-hosted by retired sports journalist Scott Adamson, whose continued writings. sports coverage and articles can be found at https://www.Adamsonmedia.com. David, Greg, and Fran can be contacted directly via the podcast's Twitter account at https://www.twitter.com/Fromthe55.
1/28/2024 • 2 hours, 25 minutes, 32 seconds
The Wide World of Sports
From the 55 Yardline is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARYIn this episode, Greg. Dave, and Fran sit down and go around the world to talk about the latest sports news that has gone under the radar screens with hockey, women and men's soccer, rugby, Canadian football and more as reported at OurSportsCentral.com. Afterward, Greg sits down with Zach Keilman of Pro Football Newsroom, the UFL Podcast, and the Inside the Walls Podcast, to talk about the upcoming year in spring professional football, both outdoor with the UFL and indoor with the relaunched Arena Football League. Zach and Greg also reminisce about how they came to launch the Gridiron Japan podcast. FROM THE 55 YARD LINE BACKGROUNDFrom the 55 Yardline is anchored by former rugby player and sports executive David Cieslinski, who resides near the Canadian border, and retired naval intelligence and information warfare officer Greg St. James, who resides in Japan (he is also the co-host of the Gridiron Japan podcast). Both are avid armchair sports historians and sports simulation enthusiasts, who, despite the vastness of geography, have found a way to leverage technology to help keep the games they love truly alive, both on the screen and on the internet airwaves. In addition to Dave and Greg, From the 55 Yardline also features veteran journalist and contributor Fran Stuchbury, of https://OurSportsCentral.com, where he writes extensively on the happenings in minor league sports.The show was previously co-hosted by retired sports journalist Scott Adamson, whose continued writings. sports coverage and articles can be found at https://www.Adamsonmedia.com. David, Greg, and Fran can be contacted directly via the podcast's Twitter account at https://www.twitter.com/Fromthe55.
1/28/2024 • 3 hours, 11 minutes, 9 seconds
WLAF Memories and Mourning the End of Sports Illustrated
From the 55 Yardline is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARYIn this episode, Greg and Fran cover down for Dave as he digs out of the snow near Buffalo, and react to the news of the day of the demise of Sports Illustrated and what the magazine meant to them growing up. They then dive into a discussion of the lack of responsible journalism within the ranks of the United Football League media, and why not just any blogger can considered a sports journalist. Fran then takes Greg around the minor leagues with OurSportsCentral.com and talks women soccer, rugby, and hockey. They then talk a little football movie talk and then reminisce about the World League of American Football and what lessons still need to be learned about growing the gridiron game internationally, including in Japan, where Greg cohosts the Gridiron Japan podcast. FROM THE 55 YARD LINE BACKGROUNDFrom the 55 Yardline is anchored by former rugby player and sports executive David Cieslinski, who resides near the Canadian border, and retired naval intelligence and information warfare officer Greg St. James, who resides in Japan (he is also the co-host of the Gridiron Japan podcast). Both are avid armchair sports historians and sports simulation enthusiasts, who, despite the vastness of geography, have found a way to leverage technology to help keep the games they love truly alive, both on the screen and on the internet airwaves. In addition to Dave and Greg, From the 55 Yardline also features veteran journalist and contributor Fran Stuchbury, of https://OurSportsCentral.com, where he writes extensively on the happenings in minor league sports.The show was previously co-hosted by retired sports journalist Scott Adamson, whose continued writings. sports coverage and articles can be found at https://www.Adamsonmedia.com. David, Greg, and Fran can be contacted directly via the podcast's Twitter account at https://www.twitter.com/Fromthe55.
1/19/2024 • 2 hours, 49 minutes, 48 seconds
Present at the Creation, with Upton Bell
From the 55 Yard Line is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARYIn part one of the podcast (apologies in advance for the audio quality due to a bad undersea cable), Greg sits down with the legendary Upton Bell, former NFL executive with both the '60s era Baltimore Colts and '70s era New England Patriots, owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the WFL, Boston media personality, author, and scion of the famous Bell family, whose grandfather helped found the NCAA, and whose father, Bert Bell served as the commissioner of the NFL from 1946 through 1959. Commissioner Bell's influence on professional football is still felt today, from the NFL draft to the league's cultural dominance, and Upton is a living legacy who has crossed paths with nearly everyone in the world of professional football, including Vince Lombardi, Johnny Unitas, Don Shula and Howard Cosell (who Greg forgot to ask him about). Part two of the podcast begins around the 1:20 mark, in which Dave, Greg, and OurSports Central contributor, Fran Stuchbury, talk NFL playoffs, indoor football and women's hockey.To learn more about Upton Bell's life and career, please read his book, check out his website, and explore his collections at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the University of Massachusetts Lowell. He can also be found on Twitter where he is very active and provides running commentaries on sports, politics and life. FROM THE 55 YARD LINE BACKGROUNDFrom the 55 Yardline is anchored by former rugby player and sports executive David Cieslinski, who resides near the Canadian border, and retired naval intelligence and information warfare officer Greg St. James, who resides in Japan (he is also the co-host of the Gridiron Japan podcast). Both are avid armchair sports historians and sports simulation enthusiasts, who, despite the vastness of geography, have found a way to leverage technology to help keep the games they love truly alive, both on the screen and on the internet airwaves. In addition to Dave and Greg, From the 55 Yardline also features veteran journalist and contributor Fran Stuchbury, of https://OurSportsCentral.com, where he writes extensively on the happenings in minor league sports.The show was previously co-hosted by retired sports journalist Scott Adamson, whose continued writings. sports coverage and articles...
1/12/2024 • 2 hours, 4 minutes, 3 seconds
Sports Journalist Fran Stuchbury of OurSports Central
The real men of genius, Dave (who checks in toward the end of the show) and Greg sit down with sports journalist Fran Stuchbury, of OurSports Central, and discuss his wide ranging career covering alternative football and minor league sports. They discuss the UFL, XFL, in all its different versions, USFL, AAF and (after Dave's arrival), America's indoor football leagues. They also talk about the state of sports journalism in the 21st Century with the rise of countless fan "news" sites, social media and podcasting.
1/5/2024 • 1 hour, 34 minutes, 8 seconds
Real Men of Genius Drink Bud Light
Real men of genius Dave and Greg talk football and earthquakes in this episode. Specifically, the talk about the upcoming matchup in the college football playoffs of Washington vs. Michigan and how much college bowl coverage has changed since they were kids. Greg talks about the Rice Bowl in Japan, in which the Fujitsu Frontiers defeated the Panasonic Impulse 16-10 at the Tokyo Dome. They also talk about beers and fandom, specifically the hypocrisy of those who boycott, but then imbibe. They also discuss the merger of the USFL and XFL and their hopes of the league's success, their current sports book reads, as well as the New Year's Day earthquake in Japan.
1/3/2024 • 1 hour, 20 minutes
Madden Surfs For Porn
In their first episode together of the rebooted From the 55 Yard Line podcast, Greg and Dave pick up on their last on air conversation and follow-up on the previous episode about the future of spring football. They then discuss the Grey Cup and the subject of future expansion of the league. After which they talk about Dave's Bills and their chances in the upcoming NFL postseason, and also their favorite reads in football books. Additionally, on the anniversary of his death, they talk about John Madden and Greg tells Dave how Frank Caliendo once imitated the Coach surfing the web for porn.
12/28/2023 • 1 hour, 41 minutes, 22 seconds
SHN Presents: NO NONSENSE, OLD SCHOOL WEIGHTLIFTING HISTORY - SHN Trailers
NO NONSENSE, OLD SCHOOL WEIGHTLIFTING HISTORY is presented by the Sports History Network, the headquarters for sports yesteryear.ABOUT SHOW:My name is Mark Morthier, and I host yesterday’s Sports on the Sports History Network. As many of you know from reading my articles and listening to my podcasts, I am not only an avid weightlifter but a fan of the sport as well. I’m excited to share my newest adventure, a show dedicated to promoting weightlifting, while also looking back at some weightlifting history. I’ll share some of my own stories and interview weightlifters from both past and present.I competed in Olympic Weightlifting from 1981 to 1989 and powerlifting from 2011 to 2019. Although I wasn’t what one might call “a naturally gifted lifter,” I managed to clean & jerk 140 kilos/308 lbs at 179 lbs body weight. In my later years, I achieved a 600-pound deadlift and a 431-pound front squat in my mid-fifties. Although I was more successful in powerlifting, setting New Jersey and New York State records in Masters Competitions, I’ll always consider myself an Olympic Weightlifter. I’ve also written a book on weight training titled No Nonsense, Old School Weight Training, which is available on Amazon.NO NONSENSE, OLD SCHOOL WEIGHTLIFTING (Amazon affiliate link)I hope that you will enjoy the show, and please leave a comment or offer a suggestion. And if you’re an Olympic lifter, past or present, let me know if you’d like to set up an interview, and I’ll do my best to have you on the show. Stay strong and God bless!
12/17/2023 • 2 minutes, 53 seconds
Can America Ever Love Spring Football?
With the "soft" reboot of the From the 55 Yard Line podcast, Greg introduces his new co-host, due to Scott's retirement, and explains how the show is shifting from one focused on Canadian football to one that encompasses the entire world of sports. He then sits down and discusses the topic of spring football with sports historian, Tim Hanlon of the Good Seats Still Available podcast, and XFL insider and Pro Football Newsroom contributor, Michael Lathrop of the Player 54 Podcast. The three talk about the past, present and future of the spring game, both outdoor and indoors, as the sports world awaits the announcement of what form the XFL and USFL merger will take.
When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.NETWORK SPONSORSRow One - the vintage shop for sports history fans!HIGHLIGHTED SHOWI am Chad Cain your host of One Guy with a Mic Presents: History of Dingers and Dunks. I am going to be bringing the history of baseball and basketball to life. For every one of you that doesn’t know anything about the history of baseball or basketball, this is your place to learn.If you know some knowledge about baseball and basketball this is your place to know more. If you have more knowledge than others around you this is your safe space. I can always learn from each and every one of you as well.Learn more about the show on the Sports History Network.
10/11/2023 • 1 minute, 7 seconds
SHN Presents: Total Sports Recall - SHN Trailers
Total Sports Recall is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARY“Covering Sports from a Different Angle”HARV ARONSON (HOST) BACKGROUNDHarv Aronson was born and raised in Pittsburgh but now lives in Florida with his beautiful wife Melissa. Harv currently writes for Abstract Sports, the Sports History Network, and the magazine Gridiron Greats. Harv wrote the published book "Pro Football's Most Passionate Fans" (Amazon link) and as a professional writer has had articles published in an array of sports publications. Harv loves all sports but football, baseball, and MMA are at the top of his interest. His passion is for sports history. You can email Harv at [email protected] or reach him via Twitter @TSRHarv59. Listen to the TOTAL SPORTS RECALL podcast on your app of choice.Please note, As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
9/22/2023 • 58 seconds
SHN Presents: The Official Football Learning Academy Podcast - SHN Trailers
When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.HIGHLIGHTED SHOW - FOOTBALL LEARNING ACADEMYEach week, the official Football Learning Academy podcast will take you deep into the history of this great game.Through interviews with players, coaches, or administrators in the NFL, as well as interviews with Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors, authors, and historians, you will learn about how the game evolved and important moments that shaped the sport into what it is today.You will also get first-hand accounts from the people who have made history in pro football.Host: Ken CrippenKen Crippen was in a leadership position within the Professional Football Researchers Association for 15 years and is now the founder and lead instructor at the Football Learning Academy.He has been researching and writing about pro football history for over 30 years and has been a sought-after interview for publications like the Wall Street Journal and Rolling Stone magazine, and a sought-after guest on podcasts and radio shows, namely The History Channel, ESPN Radio, and Fox Sports Radio.He has written two books, been the managing editor of two other books, and a contributor to yet two more books. He has also written hundreds of articles on pro football history, has won the Dick Connor Writing Award for Feature Writing (which is now called the Lesley Visser Enterprise News/Features Award) from the Pro Football Writers of America, as well as the Professional Football Researchers Association’s Ralph Hay Award for lifetime achievement in pro football research.Learn more about the show on the Sports History Network.
7/7/2023 • 2 minutes, 33 seconds
Gridiron America- The Football Learning Academy
On a morning where the cherry blossoms were blooming and Scott was watching his UAB Blazers lose a heart breaker at the NIT, Greg sat down with Ken Crippen, founder and executive director of The Football Learning Academy, to discuss the mission of the FLA and his thoughts on how the game has changed over the decades. The online academy is the first educational institution devoted to the instruction on the history of the gridiron game, with proceeds benefiting retired players. Ken is also the former president of the Professional Football Researchers Association (PFRA). He has been researching and writing about pro football history for over twenty years. In that time, he has published two books, including one about the original Buffalo Bills, and numerous articles. He has also won multiple writing awards, including the 2012 Professional Football Writers Association (PFWA) Dick Connor Writing Award for feature writing, and the 2011 Ralph Hay Award by the PFRA for lifetime achievement in pro football history.
4/3/2023 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 8 seconds
SHN Presents: Fantasy Football Origin Stories - SHN Trailers
When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.HIGHLIGHTED SHOWWelcome to Fantasy Football Origin Stories, a weekly show here on the Sports History Network, where each episode is a journey back in time to explore some unique experiences from some of the coolest and most influential people in the fantasy football industry.My name is Arnie Chapman, also known as The Football History Dude, and fantasy football is one of my greatest passions. I want you to come along with me each Wednesday to explore the yesteryear of this game of skill we all love so much. Yeah, that’s right, it’s a game of skill, all you wannabe champs out there. This is an ode to the spreadsheet warriors, the game tape gurus, team name savants, and everyone in between. I’ll take you behind the scenes to explore the origin stories of your favorite fantasy football analysts, but I won’t stop there, because this show will include all roles in the industry. You’ll get to know the game behind the game that’s behind the game like you’ve never heard it before, and I can't wait for you to ride shotgun with me back in time, to learn about some of these armchair gridiron knowledge nuggets.And remember, you got to tell all of your fantasy football-loving friends that this show is available to listen to for free in any app that supports podcasts. It’ll be the one fantasy football show you’re ok with sharing. Because even though there might be a fantasy tip here and there, this show is all about getting to know the people in the industry, not a weekly list-building show.This show is also a proud member of the Sports History Network, the Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear. So grab your friends, and hop aboard my DeLorean, because we’re about to get this baby up to 88mph.Learn more about the show on the Sports History Network.
3/23/2023 • 1 minute, 50 seconds
Gridiron America- The USFL Project
In the annals of professional football, aside from the American Football League, only one other league has truly challenged the dominance of the NFL, and that was the United States Football League of the 1980s. Unlike other spring leagues, all of which are small potatoes comparatively, the USFL forever changed how we look at professional football and how we not only watch the game, but also view upstart leagues. Unlike the XFL, which is small bug on the windshield of the NFL's largess, the USFL crashed into it and cracked the shield in many places as numerous high-profile players and draft choices decided to play in the spring. As a result, NFL salaries rose as players quickly had leverage, which many used to their advantage. Numerous NFL/CFL hall of famers and players began their careers in the USFL, such as Steve Young, Jim Kelley and Doug Flutie, and it is for them and the countless others who played in the league that The USFL Project was created. In this episode, Greg speaks with Kyle Smith, the Executive Director of The USFL Project, which is a long-term project documenting and preserving the history and story of the fabled United States Football League, so as to leave a foundation of knowledge for future generations. They talk about not just about the history of the league, but also many of the key personalities aside from the former president, who were instrumental in the founding, success, and ultimate demise of the league. An award-winning journalist, Kyle has spent many years in the entertainment industry as well as being both a host and guest on numerous radio shows and podcasts. In recent years, his attention has been focused on The USFL Project with him and his team growing the group to over 4,000 members of Facebook. The USFL Project can also be found on Twitter.
3/19/2023 • 1 hour, 34 minutes, 36 seconds
When the Cardinals Left Chicago
On March 13, 1960, the city of Chicago lost its original NFL team, the now Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals were birthed on Chicago's southside and played most of their seasons at Comiskey Park; however, despite their being the city's original NFL team, they were not its flagship franchise, with that distinction going to their northside rivals, the Bears, who played their games at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. In this episode, Greg and noted Cardinal history researcher and author, Joe Ziemba, talk about the events and factors that led up to the team eventually moving to St. Louis. They also, for the first part, talk about Greg's life as a gridiron fan in the Land of the Rising Sun, after which they take a deep dive into the Cardinals Chicago history. Joe is the award-winning author of the books "When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL," "Cadets, Cannons and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy," and "Bears vs. Cardinals: The NFL's Oldest Rivalry."Joe is a life-long resident of the south side of Chicago, Joe first became interested in the history of football after discovering that his father was a draft choice for the Chicago Cardinals of the National Football League in the 1940s. He is now recognized nationally for his knowledge of the early days of the game and has been a resource for articles, photos, or reports in Sports Illustrated, the New York Times, the Chicago Sun-Times, the Chicago Tribune, the Arizona Republic, ESPN, the Daily Southtown, NBC Sunday Night Football, CBS Football, and many others. Joe has appeared on the WGN documentary “Football in Chicago,” a Comcast Sports special on the Chicago Bears, as well as on radio stations such as WBBM and WSCR in Chicago. He has spoken on the history of football throughout the country at schools, libraries, service clubs, and conferences, and shares the humor and challenges that football pioneers faced in the early days of the game. Joe is an instructor at the Football Learning Academy, and also the host of the podcast "When Football Was Football" on the Sports History Network which explores forgotten topics in the long history of football in the Chicago area. He can be reached at [email protected] or follow his Facebook page “Chicago Cardinals.”
3/15/2023 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 55 seconds
Long Bomb, with Brett Forrest, a Full Color 21st Century Cautionary Tale of Football Hubris
At the dawn of the 21st Century, in the winter of 2001, a new gridiron football league appeared on the sports scene. The brainchild of wrestling promotor Vince McMahon and television executive Dick Ebersol, the XFL sought to become the premier weekly sporting event in America during the NFL off season. As most football fans, the original XFL fell short and, as the name of the title suggests, failed spectacularly on television and most importantly, in the ratings. During the season, Brett was there with the league every step of the way as a young freelance writer. His book, Long Bomb, is a compelling tale of hubris and the lessons the league soon learned as ratings fell and America tuned out of a television product few had been clamoring for outside of the cult of spring football.Brett is currently a national security investigative reporter for The Wall Street Journal. He was formerly a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine, where he reported on sports and crime and was a member of the staff that won the National Magazine Award for general excellence. His last film was the ESPN/ABC true-crime documentary, Pin Kings, an Emmy finalist. He is the author of The Big Fix, an international crime bestseller in development as a feature film at Netflix, as well as Long Bomb. Brett’s international-affairs reporting has appeared in Vanity Fair, The Atlantic, National Geographic, The New York Times Magazine, Time, Foreign Policy, and Playboy. For a decade, he worked in Russia, Ukraine, and Brazil. He has reported from 50 countries, and his articles have been syndicated in more than 30 languages. His work has appeared in The Best American Science and Nature Writing. You can find all of Brett's books on Amazon and at other major booksellers. Additionally, his writings are also available at this web site, www.brettforrest.com.In addition to this podcast, Brett also appeared recently on the X Fan Show videocast.
3/13/2023 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 6 seconds
From the 55 Yard Line, Good Seats Are Still Available!
In the world of sports history podcasting, there is a curious little one that has carved out a niche covering the world of defunct leagues and teams from yesteryear. "Good Seats Still Available" has its roots in Tim Hanlon's youth, when he fell in love with the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League, who unfortunately, like the league itself departed us to soon, and thus began for him an obsession for the stories of the teams and leagues of yesteryear. His pioneering podcast, which is soon approaching its 300th episode, has covered defunct leagues and teams from all sports, and Tim has interviewed many gridiron legends and icons, including Larry Csonka, Upton Bell, and Dave Meggyesy, all of whom helped shape the world of professional football in America. During this episode, Tim and Greg talk about his podcast and the challenges facing start up leagues in the 21st Century in the midst of a changing media and technological landscape.
3/1/2023 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 10 seconds
SHN Presents: Unpopular Essays on Sports History - SHN Trailers
Unpopular Essays on Sports History is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.HIGHLIGHTED SHOWUnpopular Essays on Sports HistorySupposition. We live in a golden age of sports.I mean this not in the sense of athletes becoming stronger, speedier, savvier and smarter than ever before, nor in terms of the amazing access we have to live streams and stat feeds, instant insights and opinionating, the quirks and personalities of our celebrity heroes.This, rather, is a golden age of sports in humanistic, historical terms. The truth is that the great majority of people today, willingly or not, have a direct and regular connection to organized and/or participatory sports in their everyday lives than anyone born before the 20th century.In the United States, not a person alive can recall a time when sports was not a staple of the daily newspaper. For four generations, the notion that nightly news programs should devote up to one-quarter of their airtime to sports is taken for granted. Why do we take this for granted?At Unpopular Essays on Sports History, everything is questionable.Supposition: Those who play the games have ascended in the public eye to heights unimaginable in times past. Playing top-level sports can get today’s athlete into business, TV production, national politics – and just how did this happen?At Unpopular Essays on Sports History, everything is up for examination.Supposition: Sports – wherever they are played but particularly in these places where they are invented – effect culture, even pace it. One could argue that sports are more important than ever.Corollary: Sports history, too, should be more important, yet is probably more disrespected and disavowed than ever.At Unpopular Essays on Sports History, we love the past while marveling at the present, and wondering about the future. The “unpopular essays” of the title is a nod to Bertrand Russell, the logical positivist and my favorite philosopher. (Plus it’s a great excuse to get my BA degree to finally pay off.) And as we’re taught in philosophy, It’s not about answering the questions; it’s about making them clearer.Three days a week, Unpopular Essays on Sports History will examine a moment in sports history, probe some modern ethos of our games, or speculate on what the past can teach the future – and all in 500 words or less – though probably occasionally throwing in the occasional longer interview. We’ll tour the spaces and times of the whole wide world of sports history about as quickly as Secretariat ran the Belmont Stakes.Supposition: Sports history is fascinating, illuminating and fun. Join me, Os Davis, in making the questions of sports history clearer right here an Unpopular Essays on Sports History, an SHN production. Os Davis, host of Unpopular Essays on Sports History Os never played the games but has enjoyed a nearly 30-year career in sports writing, reporting, blogging, and podcasting. He has hosted/co-hosted and produced/co-produced podcasts on NFL football, CFL football, European basketball and sports movie review. For the Sports History Network, he currently writes and co-produces the historical fiction audiodrama Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer and will return soon with more episodes of Truly the GOATs (promise).Learn more about the show on the...
2/22/2023 • 3 minutes, 47 seconds
SHN Presents: Talkin' Two Tone (A Titan's Podcast) - SHN Trailers
Talkin' Two Tone is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.HIGHLIGHTED SHOWPlease join me in welcoming Asher and Tyler to the Sports History Network. They bring to us their podcast, "Talkin' Two Tone: A Titans Podcast," where they talk all things revolving around their beloved Tennessee Titans. You'll of course get some up to date stuff with the current season, but they also take you back in time to reminisce some of the greatest moments in Titan history.Learn more about the show on the Sports History Network.
2/18/2023 • 11 seconds
Dr. Frank Cosentino- Canadian Football History Scribe, Scholar, and Hall of Famer
In this episode, Greg sits down with Canadian football historian and scholar, Dr. Frank Cosentino, to talk about his playing career and the CFL as a cultural institution in the 20th Century, especially during the time he played. They also discuss how the CFL dealt with the threat of the WFL in the 1970s, during which John Bassett planned on placing a franchise in Toronto. Lastly, they discuss the American expansion, changing sports landscape and the prospects of a successful CFL/XFL merger, should one ever be pursued again.Scott was slated to join the conversation; however, just minutes before recording tornado warnings were issued for Birmingham and power went out. We are happy to report that eventually the weather cleared, and power was restored. Grey Cup champion, Vanier Cup champion, hall of famer, scholar, teacher, and professor emeritus are just a few of the ways one describes the greatest Canadian sports historian who has authored 18 books, and not just only on football. Drafted by the Hamilton Tiger Cats in 1960, Dr. Cosentino was in five consecutive Grey Cup games, 1961-65, including the first overtime Grey Cup game in 1961, the “fog bowl” in 1962 and the “wind bowl” of 1965. The team’s two Grey Cup wins were in 1963 and 1965. As a Tiger Cat he also played in the last of the CFL vs NFL exhibition games against the Buffalo Bills, in which Hamilton prevailed and he passed for the team's final touchdown.In 1967, Dr. Cosentino was traded to Edmonton in 1967, led the team to a 9-6-1, and was named Edmonton’s nominee for the Best Canadian Schenley Award, after which he was traded to Toronto for the 1969 season. He finished his career after the 1969 season, playing in 141 regular season games and starting in 41, posting 20 wins, 19 losses, and two ties. He completed 482 passes out of 996 attempts for 7,678 passing yards with 53 touchdowns. While playing in the CFL, Dr. Cosentino continued his education, earning both a master's and doctor of philosophy degree. After his playing days ended, in 1970, he was named head football coach at the University of Western Ontario and assistant professor. In 1976 he moved to York University where he was professor and chairman of physical education and athletics for a five-year term. As a professor, he taught courses in sport history, and as a coach, won two Vanier Cups at Western in 1971 and 1974. He is a member of Halls of Fame at McMaster, York, Western, and Ontario University Athletics; and in 2018, was named to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Though retired, Dr. Cosentino continues to write and all of his wonderful books, which are required reading for students of Canadian football, are available at his website- www.valleyoldtimers.com.
2/17/2023 • 1 hour, 18 minutes, 12 seconds
More Than Just a Game, With Howie Mooney
When one thinks of Howie Mooney, their first thought is about sports and sports history. Currently, he is the host of the Sports Lunatics Show, a sports history podcast, on the FiredUp Network, a Toronto website. He also writes a sports history column there. Indeed, his first venture into the world of sports history came when he began researching his first Canadian sports history calendar back in 1986. His success with that venture led to Howie becoming the host of "The Ultimate Sports Quiz," an interactive call-in sports trivia program, on local television in Ottawa, Canada in 1991, which he hosted through the decade of the ’90s. Howie soon found himself covering the CFL’s Ottawa Rough Riders and the OHL’s Ottawa 67s for television. He was also selected out of many who auditioned to be the color commentator for Triple-A Ottawa Lynx baseball broadcasts and also covered the NHL’s Ottawa Senators for the magazine show "Overtime." Howie is also the co-author of "Third and Long: The Proud History of Football in Ottawa," which is available to read for free at www.archive.org. Howie’s new book, "Crazy Days & Wild Nights," is a collection of incredible and true stories taken from the pages of sports history. The audio book will be available on his website this year, with the book out for purchase in the summer.In this episode, Howie recounts a number of stories from the book, including tales from the Toronto Argonauts sidelines, and the legend of Taro Tsujimoto. In addition, Greg and Howie talk about the upcoming spring football season in America and the CFL, including where the league is headed into 2023.
2/7/2023 • 1 hour, 49 minutes, 16 seconds
The Gridiron Cup, a Cold War What If?
One of the most popular genres of science fiction literature is that of alternate history, and in sports one of the most common questions asked among fans of all sports is, "what if?" For instance, what if Bo Jackson did not get hurt in that playoff game against the Bengals? What if Bartman had not interfered with that foul ball in Wrigley Field during the NLCS in 2003? What if Babe Ruth played his entire career in Boston? What if Muhammad Ali had lost or quit in his first fight against Sonny Liston? What if the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants had never moved to the West Coast? What if Vince Lombardi had become head coach of his hometown Giants instead of heading to Green Bay? What if Browns had not moved to Baltimore and displaced the CFL's Stallions? How would sports history, and our perception of it, be different today? The questions are of course endless...In his book, "Gridiron Cup, 1982," Keegan Dresow asks two important questions... What if Bert Bell had been successful in getting war torn Europe to embrace the spectacle of gridiron football? And, what if Joseph Stalin had decided the Soviet Union would learn the sport and use it to wage a proxy war against the west on the gridiron. For fans of the TV show, "For All Mankind," in which the question of what if the Soviets had landed on the moon first is explored, readers will not be disappointed. "Gridiron Cup, 1982," is available exclusively on Amazon Kindle. His book imagines a world where it is gridiron football and not soccer football that is the most dominate team sport on the planet, and expertly weaves facts with fiction to present a look at a sports world that gridiron football fans can only dream about.Keegan Dresow previously served as the head coach of the Avedøre Monarchs, in Denmark, and is the author of "Offensive Football Systems," which is also available on Amazon. Presently, Keegan, a 2010 graduate from the UC Davis School of Law, is an attorney and is also a 2006 graduate of Pomona College, where he played four years of gridiron football for the Sagehens. His website is TotalAmericanFootball.com
2/4/2023 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 57 seconds
SHN Presents: The Official PFRA Podcast - SHN Trailers
The Official PFRA Podcast is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.HIGHLIGHTED SHOWThe Professional Football Researchers Association (PFRA) was founded in Canton, Ohio in 1979 to foster the study of professional football as a significant and athletic institution; to establish an accurate historical account of professional football; and to disseminate research information. In each episode of The Official PFRA Podcast, co-hosts George Bozeka and Jon Bozeka will discuss the storied history of pro football, including interviews with prominent pro football historians and authors, and former players.Born in Canton within walking distance of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, George is the current President of the PFRA. He has had a number of articles published in the PFRA’s official magazine The Coffin Corner and he is the lead editor for the PFRA’s Great Teams in Pro Football History book series.Jon has been a radio broadcaster in the Canton area since 2014. He has been involved in every facet of radio sports coverage including play-by-play and color commentary for local high school and college football broadcasts. He is also a stringer for CBS Radio’s Eye on Sports show covering all Cleveland Browns Sunday home games.Learn more about the show on the Sports History Network.
1/19/2023 • 1 minute, 15 seconds
Thanksgiving and Football (or maybe Vice Versa) - Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer
Thanksgiving Day, 1924. The recently-established tradition of the University of Pittsburgh Panthers football team hosting the Pennsylvania State Nittany Lions on the afternoon of the national autumnal holiday continues. Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer is sent to cover the Pitt-Penn State “Keystone Classic” of 1924; in so doing, he discovers a throughline of the football-on-Thanksgiving tradition going back to 1621 (okay, actually, that’s going back to 1869) and reminds us that high-level football games on Thanksgiving are nearly as old as the official Thanksgiving holiday itself. Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer is an audio drama podcast from Number 80 Productions and the Sports History Network.Thanksgiving and Football (or maybe Vice Versa) script & story by Os Davis. Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer stars Doug Fye, Ilona Fye, and Eric Bodwell. Thanksgiving and Football (or maybe Vice Versa) co-stars, in order of appearance, Caedmon Holland, Forrest Hartl and Wayne Brett.Additional direction by Eric Bodwell. Sound recording and primary editing by Don McIver.The theme song of Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer is “the Dayton Triangles Rag” and was arranged and performed by Bruce Smith. Other tracks in this episode include• “Jazz Club” by Kriss (available through fair-use agreement via FreeMusicArchive.org);• “Litany of the Street” by Silverman Sound Studios;• “Bimini Bay” (1921) by the Benson Orchestra of Chicago; and• “Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer (Outro)” by David Liso of Dynamo Stairs.Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer is produced by Os Davis and Darin Hayes. Series concept by Darrin Hayes.Stay tuned for more episodes of Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer – coming soon!
11/23/2022 • 27 minutes, 40 seconds
SHN Presents: Minnesota Sports History Show - SHN Trailers
When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.HIGHLIGHTED SHOW - MINNESOTA SPORTS HISTORY SHOWEach episode explores the rich history of Minnesota sports and considers its impact on the current cultural zeitgeist. The Minnesota Sports History Show strives to entertain as well as inform, tickle the sense of nostalgia, and share the joy and hardships of triumph and heartbreak. Episodes will range from musings about the Dome Dog era to interviews with athletes and sports personalities.Learn more about the show on the Sports History Network.
10/29/2022 • 1 minute, 10 seconds
SHN Presents: The Playbook Podcast - SHN Trailers
The Playbook is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.NETWORK SPONSORSRow One - the vintage shop for sports history fans!HIGHLIGHTED SHOWHello everyone, my name is Zach, and this is my co-host Jarod, and we are The Playbook Podcast. Where we are here to talk about the Past, Present, and Future of the Gridiron, The Hardwood, and even all the way out to the Octagon.We are just two fans who not only love our sports teams but the play of the game and how it evolved from past to now. So get ready to open them playbooks with us and we hope you enjoy it.Learn more about the show on the Sports History Network.
9/14/2022 • 2 minutes, 37 seconds
SHN Presents: Marty's Illegal Stick (A Hockey History Podcast) - SHN Trailers
Marty's Illegal Stick is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.NETWORK SPONSORSRow One - the vintage shop for sports history fans!HIGHLIGHTED SHOWMarty’s Illegal Stick a Hockey History Podcast is exactly that – a podcast dedicated to hockey history. Each week, host Scott Kinville and co-host Dave “The Save” Warner hop on the Zamboni Time Machine and go back in time to look at the characters, teams, and events that make up hockey’s glorious history!Marty’s Illegal Stick a Hockey History Podcast is recorded in upstate New York about thirty miles from the home of the legendary Clinton Comets as well as the Utica Memorial Auditorium. Parts of the classic hockey movie “Slap Shot” were recorded at he Aud – including the infamous “I’m listening to the f-ing song” scene during the national anthem!Marty’s Illegal Stick a Hockey History Podcast is of course named after one of the most notorious moments in Stanley Cup history. Although Marty McSorley is remembered for this lapse in judgement when it comes to stick selection, in fact the LA Kings would not have made it to the final were it not for McSorley’s stellar play that season. Although the show is named for an incident that happened in the NHL, Marty’s Illegal Stick a Hockey History Podcast covers hockey history from any league and any time period.You can subscribe to Marty’s Illegal Stick a Hockey History Podcast on YouTube and all major podcast platforms. You find the show on social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and at https://martysillegalstick.com. If you like hockey history, you’re going to love this show!Learn more about the show on the Sports History Network.
We are excited to introduce you to Homefield Apparel as a partner of the Sports History Network.Homefield studies your school's history, traidtions, and legacies to create thoughtful, premium apparel.Use promo code SPORTSHISTORY at checkout for 15% off your first order.ABOUT THE SPONSOR:At Homefield, we know college.Running through campus wearing nothing but your school pride. Rushing the field with a thousand of your closest friends. Crossing the quad one last time—together. Coming home every autumn. At Homefield, we know college. And we know what it’s like to be part of something bigger than you. We create unique, premium collegiate apparel that shows you’re part of a community while still standing out from the crowd. Whether you’re on campus or off, our high-quality goods are thoughtfully made and designed to last as long as your memories do.
8/29/2022 • 20 minutes
SHN Presents: Sports Film Pitch - SHN Trailers
Sports Film Pitch is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.NETWORK SPONSORSRow One - the vintage shop for sports history fans!HIGHLIGHTED SHOWHollywood’s next sports movie. We tell true sports stories as if they are getting made into movies.We cast the leads and give you the facts and inspiring moments that actually happened. Be ahead of Hollywood and know the story before they do.Learn more about the show on the Sports History Network.
8/24/2022 • 1 minute, 22 seconds
SHN Presents: One Guy With a Mic: History of Dingers and Dunks - SHN Trailers
When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.NETWORK SPONSORSRow One - the vintage shop for sports history fans!HIGHLIGHTED SHOWI am Chad Cain your host of One Guy with a Mic Presents: History of Dingers and Dunks. I am going to be bringing the history of baseball and basketball to life. For every one of you that doesn’t know anything about the history of baseball or basketball, this is your place to learn.If you know some knowledge about baseball and basketball this is your place to know more. If you have more knowledge than others around you this is your safe space. I can always learn from each and every one of you as well.Learn more about the show on the Sports History Network.
6/11/2022 • 38 seconds
SHN Presents: Tim Coffeen Talks Indy car and Racing History - SHN Trailers
Tim Coffeen Talks Indy car and Racing History is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.NETWORK SPONSORSRow One - the vintage shop for sports history fans!HIGHLIGHTED SHOWTim Coffeen, the host of “Tim Coffeen Talks Indy car and Racing History,” will share stories and memories from his long career with top Indy car teams.As a winner of seven championship rings, Tim not only understands the history of open-wheel racing, he has lived it!Learn more about the show on the Sports History Network.
5/18/2022 • 1 minute, 5 seconds
Sunday With The Voice of the Argos, Mike Hogan
After a nearly two month break, Scott and Greg return to talk about the upcoming season with the radio voice of the Toronto Argonauts, Mike Hogan. In an easygoing Sunday morning conversation, the three talk about his love of the CFL and the Argos, and his memories of seasons past.
3/24/2022 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 28 seconds
Black History Month Presentation- African Americans in the CFL With Dana Auguster
A replay from August 2021, in which Scott and Greg are joined by fellow Sports History Network member, Dana Auguster, of the Historically Speaking Sports podcast to talk about the important role African Americans have played in Canada, both on the field, as well as in the front office. Beginning with Robert "Stonewall" Jackson and continuing to the present with Clarence "Pinball" Clemons, the three talk about their contributions and look back at the greatest players many Americans may never have heard of or seen play.
2/6/2022 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 23 seconds
Border Boys- A Conversation With PFRA & CFL Historian Ryan Christiansen
In their first podcast of 2022 Scott and Greg sit down and talk about Scott's impressions about the new USFL and the news conference he attended in Birmingham for the hub city in season one of the fledgling league. After which, Scott and Greg talk with PFRA and CFL historian Ryan Christiansen to discuss his newly published book Border Boys, about the men who brought Winnipeg their first Grey Cup championship. Available in both the United States and Canada, the book details the history of Canadian football prior to the official start of the CFL when rugby unions governed the sport and how Canadian football evolved and was influenced by American innovations. With an in-depth discussion of how football on the continent evolved, Ryan introduces readers to the American and Canadian matchups that predated the NFL/CFL exhibitions of the 50s and 60s. Further, the book details the football legacy and traditions of North Dakota State University, Concordia College, Minnesota State University Moorhead, and University of North Dakota, and the contribution of the "Swede Belt's" Robert Fritz, Fritz Hanson, Bud Marquardt and Herb Peschel to the total Canadian/American team effort that was the 1935 Grey Cup champion Winnipeg Winnipegs of the Manitoba Rugby Football Union.
1/27/2022 • 1 hour, 40 minutes, 40 seconds
Christmas Eve at the Guardian (Presented by Row One Sports) - Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer
Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.NETWORK SPONSORRow One - the vintage shop for sports history fans!Orville Mulligan: Sports WriterA Different way to hear sports history.I am Orville Mulligan and yes the career journey I took was as a Sports Writer. My story will fill the listener’s ears with my journey of perhaps the greatest time in sports history, the roaring 1920s. I was fortunate enough to rub elbows with the greatest legends of sport in the era and attend some of the most iconic events in sports history.The tales are complete with the music, people, places and slang used at the time to place the listener into the feelings that we experienced as I started my epic career.Join us in the adventure of a lifetime, Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer, found here on Sports History Network, on OrvilleMulligan.com or your favorite podcast provider.Head to the ORVILLE MULLIGAN OFFICIAL WEBSITE for more information.
12/14/2021 • 6 minutes, 3 seconds
True Double Blue- Paul Woods, John Candy And The Year Of The Rocket
On the eve of the Grey Cup, author Paul Woods returns to talk about his best selling book, "Year of the Rocket," about that one time in CFL history where the league upstaged the NFL and with a trio of celebrity owners set about making the CFL cool again. The book tells the story of how Rocket Ismail came to Canada and signed the largest contract in sports, and also how John Candy became the unofficial commissioner of a league that in the 21st Century could use some of that celebrity magic and cache to help it become relevant and cool again. With history as our guide we also talk about the future of the league, American press coverage of it, and how the lessons of the past apply to the CFL today.
12/11/2021 • 2 hours, 13 minutes, 39 seconds
Marla Recalls A Football Game (Presented by Row One Sports) - Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer
Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.NETWORK SPONSORRow One - the vintage shop for sports history fans!Orville Mulligan: Sports WriterA Different way to hear sports history.I am Orville Mulligan and yes the career journey I took was as a Sports Writer. My story will fill the listener’s ears with my journey of perhaps the greatest time in sports history, the roaring 1920s. I was fortunate enough to rub elbows with the greatest legends of sport in the era and attend some of the most iconic events in sports history.The tales are complete with the music, people, places and slang used at the time to place the listener into the feelings that we experienced as I started my epic career.Join us in the adventure of a lifetime, Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer, found here on Sports History Network, on OrvilleMulligan.com or your favorite podcast provider.Head to the ORVILLE MULLIGAN OFFICIAL WEBSITE for more information.
12/9/2021 • 5 minutes, 50 seconds
Orville Impresses Marla (Presented by Row One Sports) - Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer
Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.NETWORK SPONSORRow One - the vintage shop for sports history fans!Orville Mulligan: Sports WriterA Different way to hear sports history.I am Orville Mulligan and yes the career journey I took was as a Sports Writer. My story will fill the listener’s ears with my journey of perhaps the greatest time in sports history, the roaring 1920s. I was fortunate enough to rub elbows with the greatest legends of sport in the era and attend some of the most iconic events in sports history.The tales are complete with the music, people, places and slang used at the time to place the listener into the feelings that we experienced as I started my epic career.Join us in the adventure of a lifetime, Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer, found here on Sports History Network, on OrvilleMulligan.com or your favorite podcast provider.Head to the ORVILLE MULLIGAN OFFICIAL WEBSITE for more information.
12/5/2021 • 5 minutes, 14 seconds
A Conversation With Rich Podolsky- The Bombers' Indian Jack Jacobs and The NFL Today On CBS
On the eve of the Grey Cup semi-finals Scott and Greg sat down with Rich Podolsky, author of the best selling book "You Are Looking Live!: How The NFL Today Revolutionized Sports Broadcasting" to discuss with him his reflections and remembrances of his time at CBS Sports on the ground breaking pregame show where he was a writer. They talk about Brent Musburger and the entire NFL Today team, including Jimmy The Greek and Greg's school boy crush, Jayne Kennedy. In addition to the NFL Today, Rich also talks about Winnipeg Blue Bomber great and CFL Hall of Famer, Indian Jack Jacobs, whose talents are indeed remembered by Oklahoma University were he was a star, and whose achievements were profiled by Rich in an amazing article he wrote for the Oklahoma University Foundation's Sooner Magazine.
12/4/2021 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 40 seconds
Ron Snyder and The Baltimore Stallions, America's CFL Champion
On the day the USFL was "rebooted and reimagined," Scott and Greg sat down with sports historian and Baltimore native Ron Snyder to discuss his book on the CFL Colts/Stallions entitled "The Baltimore Stallions: The Brief, Brilliant History of the CFL Champion Franchise," as well as the rich legacy of football in Baltimore and how the departure of the NFL Colts opened the door for the team to claim the unofficial title of "America's CFL Team." Not only are the Stallions and football history of Baltimore discussed, but they also embark on a conversation about the future of the sport, through the lens of learned history and knowledge gained (through amazing books like Ron's) that provide lessons on how leagues can avoid the mistakes of the past in starting up and also older leagues looking to expand beyond their borders.
11/23/2021 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 37 seconds
The USFL and Football For a Buck, With Jeff Pealman
Scott and Greg put on their parachute pants and fire up the Commodore 64 as they sit down with prolific sports author Jeff Pearlman to talk about the United States Football League and stories from his book, "Football for a Buck," about the wild times of a league that left us way to soon and whose impact has gone beyond the field and with us still today, be it in the form of an attempted coup or the two point conversion. We do discuss, albeit briefly, the topic of the new Fox Sports league coming in 2022 that is planning on using the USFL's logos and names.During the conversation Scott represented his Birmingham Stallions, and Greg his Chicago Blitz, as Jeff tells tales of a league that, had the owners not listened to one thinned skinned man and foolishly sued the NFL and put a drunk Howard Cosell on the witness stand, at least a few of the teams might still be around today, except for teams like definitely neither the New Jersey Generals or "the Gunslingers of San Antoin..." The book, as Jeff tells it, was inspired by a high school term paper project, which goes to show that no matter our age, football truly is a sport that keeps all of us fans forever young.
11/18/2021 • 1 hour, 21 minutes, 1 second
Plaay Classic (Official SHN Sponsor) - Interview With The Founder (and His Son) - Keith and Sam Avallone - SHN Showcase
The Sports History Network is a proud partner of Plaay Classic - a sports simulation board game company.WIN A FREE PLAAY CLASSIC BOARD GAMEThis podcast is sponsored by PLAAY Classic Sports Simulation Board Games! Spelled with TWO "A's" P-L-A-A-Y... Realistic board game re-creations of professional football, hockey, baseball, NASCAR, golf and more--they cover nine sports in all, with a tenth--basketball--coming in 2022!You can re-live great seasons of the past, create "what-if" match-ups from different eras, and MUCH more! It's FUN!If you're into sports history, you should check 'em out...(PLAAY with two "A"s) P-L-A-A-Y Classic.com. Use the code "SHN" at checkout and get 10% off your first order!
10/26/2021 • 22 minutes, 13 seconds
Ottawa Football and Canadian Sports History With Howie Mooney
In this episode Greg sits down for a conversation with Ottawa sports historian Howie Mooney, co-author of Third & Long: The Proud History of Football in Ottawa, co-host of The Sports Lunatics podcast, and feature writer with the Fired Up Network, to talk not just Rough Rider, Renegade, and RedBlack history, but also the sports landscape in Canada. Howie tells a number of stories and the two also talk about the world of podcasting. Lastly, the delve in and geek out with a talk about simulation sports, as both Greg and Howie are both avid board and computer gamers.
10/22/2021 • 2 hours, 5 minutes, 20 seconds
North America and Britain's Games With Michael MacCambridge
In the episode Scott and Greg sit down with noted professional football historian Michael MacCambridge, whose award-winning book "America’s Game: The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured A Nation" is widely considered the definitive modern history of pro football in America. We discuss his current book, which is devoted to professional football in England, entitled "Red Letters: Two Fervent Liverpool FC Supporters Correspond through the Epic Season That Wouldn’t End," his thoughts on the state of professional football and fandom, as well as his upcoming future book about professional sports in the America of the 1970s.
10/5/2021 • 57 minutes, 10 seconds
Sports History Network Presents: Wrestling With Heels On (Trailer) - SHN Trailers
Wrestling With Heels On is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.NETWORK SPONSORSRow One - the vintage shop for sports history fans!ABOUT WRESTLING WITH HEELS ONHi EVERYONE. MY NAME IS ARIEL GONZALEZ, ORIGINALLY FROM BROOKLYN, NOW LIVING IN THE GARDEN STATE AND I HAVE A NEW PODCAST SHOW CALLED WRESTLING WITH HEELS ON. BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE SPORTS HISTORY NETWORK, OF COURSE. ON THE PODCAST, I GET TO REMINISCENCE ABOUT MY FAVORITE WRESTLING BAD GUYS FROM YESTERYEAR. LIGHT ON STATS AND HEAVY ON NOSTALGIA, THIS LITTLE TRIP DOWN VILLAINY LANE GIVES ME A CHANCE TO VISIT THE DARK CORRIDORS OF MY WRESTLING SOUL. AND IT’S ALSO FUN TO HAVE A PODCAST. SO JOIN ME AS I WAX NOSTALGIC ABOUT MY FAVORITE WRESTLING WEIRDOS AND NE’ER DO WELLS, THE NO-GOODNIKS OF A NO-LONGER TIME THAT STILL HAUNT ME TODAY. JUST KEEP IN MIND, LIKE SOME PEOPLE MY AGE, MY RECALL OF PEOPLE AND EVENTS CAN GET A LITTLE WOBBLY SOMETIMES. SO DON’T WORRY IF I GET IT WRONG. OH! WHAT DO YOU EXPECT? I’M WRESTLING WITH HEELS ON.
9/24/2021 • 1 minute, 16 seconds
ThriveFantasy (Official SHN Sponsor) - Interview With The Founder - Adam Weinstein - SHN Showcase
The Sports History Network is a proud partner of ThriveFantasy - a Daily Fantasy Sports and Esports app for Player Props. With Thrive, you can eliminate the countless hours of research and focus on only the top-tier athletes that have the biggest impact on the game. Choose 10 out of the 20 available player props to build your lineup. each prop is assigned a fantasy value for both the Over and the Under, based on how likely it is to hit. Hit the most props and rack up the most points to win a share of the prize pool. Thrive has over $140,000 guaranteed in prizes for NFL Week 1 and has awarded over $4 million. Thrive's featured $100k guaranteed contest is $20 to enter and first place takes home $20k! (Through the special Sports History Network code, you get a free entry into this contest).But there's more:Use this link or the promo code SHN when you sign up today and you will receive an instant 100% match up to $100. Deposit a minimum of $50 and you earn a free ticket to the NFL Thursday Night $20k tournament and Week 1 NFL $100k tournament (that's a $40 value).THRIVEFANTASY LinkEven More:Enter the giveaway to score a ThriveFantasy Swag Bag here.
9/8/2021 • 20 minutes, 43 seconds
Bryant Turner, Jr., True Blue Bomber
Scott and Greg are joined by former CFL All-Star Bryant Turner, Jr., who talks about his love for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, his best memories from his playing days and how important fan/player relationships are in professional football. From 2011 through 2015 Bryant spent five seasons in blue and gold, followed by two seasons in with the British Columbia Lions. During his time in Winnipeg, as a defensive tackle, he appeared and started in 71 games, in which he recorded 26 sacks, five forced fumbles and 75 total tackles. He also appeared in three playoff games for the Bombers, including the 2011 Grey Cup.
8/23/2021 • 55 minutes, 26 seconds
African Americans in the CFL
Scott and Greg are joined by fellow Sports History Network member, Dana Auguster, of the Historically Speaking Sports podcast to talk about the important role African Americans have played in Canada, both on the field, as well as in the front office. Beginning with Robert "Stonewall" Jackson and continuing to the present with Clarence "Pinball" Clemons, the three talk about their contributions and look back at the greatest players many Americans may never have heard of or seen play.
8/16/2021 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 23 seconds
Lamar's Gamble, With Billy O'Connor and Frank Pace
Scott and Greg are joined by retired New York firefighter and Vietnam veteran Billy O'Connor, and television producer (four time Emmy nominee) Frank Pace, co-hosts of the A Mick A Mook and a Mic podcast to talk about their new book, "Lamar's Gamble: A Tale of the AFL-NFL Merger." The authors discuss, in addition to their book and podcast, their thoughts and perspectives on the NFL of today vs. the time period in which their book is based. They also leave room for a discussion with Scott and Greg on New York vs. Chicago style pizza, the football cathedral that is Wrigley Field, as well as somber moment of Billy's firsthand recollections of September 11th.
8/11/2021 • 1 hour, 21 minutes, 24 seconds
Chicago, America's Pro Football Capital With Joe Ziemba
Scott and Greg discuss with Joe Ziemba, noted author of When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL and Cadets, Cannons and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy, the impact of Chicago in the formation of American professional football, and how it was the Cardinals and not the Bears who were the city's original entry into the NFL. We then follow the story of the Cardinals from their birth on the South Side to their eventual departure from the city, but not before they played the Toronto Argonauts during their last season in Chicago.
8/2/2021 • 1 hour, 41 minutes, 59 seconds
Going Deep With Matt Dunigan
On the cusp of the long awaited 2021 CFL season, Scott and Greg sit down for a lengthy conversation with Canadian football legend, two time Grey Cup champion, author, hall of famer and all around great guy, Matt Dunigan. We talk about his long and storied career, his first years in Edmonton, his time in Toronto, and the challenges facing the league. Additionally, he regaled us with his story of the fajita incident with Bruce McNall.
8/1/2021 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 52 seconds
Football Canada With Jim Mullin
On what is our tenth interview show (remember, the first 55 Yard Line show was just Scott & Greg, so that doesn't count) on the Sports History Network and CFL America Radio, from Vancouver, Jim Mullin, the president of Football Canada, host of Gridiron Nation on TSN, and member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame selection committee, joins us to talk not only about the upcoming season, but also Canadian football, CFL and British Columbia Lions history. As to what we learned, among the many things is that the CFL does not own the Grey Cup!
7/27/2021 • 57 minutes, 48 seconds
Symbiosis of Football Literature and Film With Chris Willis
For those of us over a certain age, who have loved professional football, be it in Canada or America, we have come to it through two primary means- books and film. For those of who truly love books we have gained a deeper understanding of the game through the words and literary artistry of writers like Chris Willis, who is the resident historian at NFL Films, where he oversees all aspects of research for the company and their producers. In 2002 he was nominated for an Emmy for his work on the HBO documentary- The Game of Their Lives: Pro Football in the 1950's." He is a member of the Professional Football Researchers Association (PFRA) since 1993 and writes for the Pro Football Journal.In addition to his work with NFL Films, he has authored many fine books. His first, Old Leather: An Oral History of Early Pro Football in Ohio, 1920-1935, was published in 2005 by Scarecrow Press. Old Leather was given the 2005 Nelson Ross Award by the Professional Football Researchers Association for recent Achievement in Football Research and Historiography. His second book, The Columbus Panhandles : A Complete History of Pro Football's Toughest Team, 1900-1922, was published in 2007 by Scarecrow Press. His third book was released in September of 2010, The Man Who Built the National Football League: Joe F. Carr is a biography of the former NFL president from 1921-1939. His fourth book, Dutch Clark: The Life of an NFL Legend and the Birth of the Detroit Lions, is about the man who played seven seasons in the NFL and was the first big star for the Lions. His fifth book, A Nearly Perfect Season: The Inside Story of the 1984 San Francisco 49ers, and contains over 30 interviews from that team that went 18-1 and won Super Bowl XIX and is considered one of the NFL's greatest teams. In 2017, he wrote Walter Lingo, Jim Thorpe and the Oorang Indians, another story about the early days of the NFL, and in 2019 he completed his full-scale biography, Red Grange- the Galloping Ghost, which was published in conjunction with the NFL's 100th season. Currently Chris is working on a biography of Bronko Nagurski, former Chicago Bears Hall of Fame fullback, which is scheduled to be published in August of 2022.In this episode, Chris joins the show to talk about his career as an author and as part of the team of creative geniuses at NFL Films. He tells us about his approach to his writing and research, how many of his books came to be, and he also shares with us personal stories of the man your hosts and guest continue to idolize and be inspired by- Steve Sabol.
7/22/2021 • 1 hour, 22 minutes, 53 seconds
Third and One From the Gun With Dave Naylor
As the 2021 CFL season approaches, Dave Naylor of Canada's TSN takes time with us to talk about where the league is headed using history as a guide. In particular we talk in-depth about the American expansion of the 1990s when the CFL first sought to expand its reach south.
7/19/2021 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 55 seconds
Roughrider Memories with Don Charabin and Rob Vanstone
In this episode, Don Charabin from the Third Down Gamble podcast, and Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post join us and reminisce about growing up in the prairie towns of the province of Saskatchewan where one team symbolizes what makes the Canadian Football League so special. We recall the heroes of the game whom they idolized in the 60s and 70s, and talk about the era when the wheat grew tall and the Chinook wind blew cold, in a community where only two TV channels were on the air, and as a young football fan you got your sports news and box scores from the newspaper.
7/17/2021 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 35 seconds
A Conversation With Upton Bell
For our seventh episode on the Sports History Network, CFL fan and Grey Cup attendee Upton Bell, joins us. Upton is the former director of personnel of the Baltimore Colts, general manager of the New England Patriots, and owner of the New York Stars and Charlotte Hornets of the World Football League. After football, Upton transitioned into sports broadcasting in the New England area where he was the host of "Calling All Sports", "Sports Nightly", "Sports Line", and "Sports Beat." Upton was also the color commentator for the Boston Breakers, Boston Celtics, Boston College and Ivy League football, as well as an interviewer for the Patriots pregame show. He also served as co-host of the first nationally televised NFL draft on PBS in 1977. In the 1980s Upton transitioned to talk radio in Boston where he interviewed three presidents and countless other national figures. Upton is the son of former NFL Commissioner Bert Bell, and, in 2017, he, along with Ron Borges, authored "Present at the Creation: My Life in the NFL and the Rise of America's Game."
7/3/2021 • 1 hour, 30 minutes, 42 seconds
Edmonton Football History With Mike Smith-Knutsen
In the first of what we hope is many Sports History Network and Canadian Football Podcast Network crossover events, "Super Fan" Mike Smith-Knutsen, the unofficial Edmonton Elks historian and co-host of The Turf District podcast, joins Scott and Greg to talk the history of the legendary franchise from its early days to its 21st Century rebranding. We talk about legends and barrier breaking players like Normie Kwong and Warren Moon, the history of Commonwealth Stadium, the new name of the team, and much more! And though the old team name is retired, we could not but help at the end to share with you one of the catchiest football marches ever heard in North America.
6/25/2021 • 1 hour, 21 minutes, 20 seconds
Jack Gilden and the Collision of Wills of Unitas and Shula
On a football Sunday morning on what should have been the start of the CFL preseason for Scott and Greg, the pair sit down with Jack Gilden to discuss his book, "Collision of Wills", about the relationship of Johnny Unitas and Don Shula and the times they lived in. They discuss Jack's interviews with the Unitas family, Don Shula, Joe Namath and Earl Morrall, as well as the history of Baltimore football from the Colts, through the Stallions and Ravens, and the legacy both have had on football history.
6/13/2021 • 1 hour, 21 minutes, 26 seconds
The World of Football with Randy Snow
Scott and Greg sit down with professional football historian and co-host of The World of Football podcast, Randy Snow and talk about the National Football League, Canadian Football League and Arena Football League moments he has shared with his children, and showing us how football has the power to bring families together with memories to last a lifetime. They also discuss Randy's love and long suffering fandom of the Detroit Lions and some of the best books about the team, as well as his love and admiration for the Canadian brand of professional football.
6/12/2021 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 58 seconds
Paul Woods and the History of the Toronto Argonauts
Paul Woods is a journalist, Canadian football historian and author of Bouncing Back: From National Joke to Grey Cup Champs, which chronicled the Toronto Argonauts winning the championship in 1983 after 31 years of futility and misery. In this episode, Paul discusses with Scott and Greg the history of the Argonauts, including the John Candy years, as well their recent issues both on and off the field. His next book, about the 1991 Argonauts, will be published in Summer 2021.
6/5/2021 • 1 hour, 15 minutes, 20 seconds
History of the Blue and Gold, With Roy Rosmos
Scott and Greg are back in their 55 yard line cheap seats this month talking all things blue and gold with Winnipeg Blue Bomber historian Roy Rosmus ("@heartobluegold" on Twitter), author of five books that span from the team's inception to their 2019 Grey Cup championship- "The Beginning- Through the Golden Years," "Dieter Brock Through the Championship Years," "The Jonas Era," "Quiet Hero: The Ken Ploen Story," and the upcoming "Good Years, Lean Years, The Cup Returns".
5/18/2021 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 8 seconds
From the 55 Yard Line Trailer
When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Your Favorite Sports' Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARYSports journalist Scott Adamson, along with fellow enthusiast and armchair historian Greg James, take a hot read with guests on the history, remembrances, culture, lore, legends and meaning of pro football around the world. Every few weeks the pair will sit down with authors who, through their books, have given all of us a close up look and perspective at the game we have grown up with and enjoy no matter where on the map we may call home, be it in Tokyo cheering for the Roughriders, in America's south rooting for the J E T S, or in Chicago cheering for Da Bears. What has brought Scott and Greg together has been their love of professional football not just in America, but in Canada where Americans make up many of the players and who for too long have gone unrecognized in their native land. In their podcast they will take on a global view of the game and seek to entertain and educate on what the game means to those who have the same passion as they do and also in the larger context of history and sports economics in the 21st Century.Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.FROM THE 55 YARD LINE BACKGROUNDSports journalist Scott Adamson, along with fellow enthusiast and armchair historian Greg James, take a hot read with guests on the history, remembrances, culture, lore, legends and meaning of pro football around the world. Every few weeks the pair will sit down with authors who, through their books, have given all of us a close up look and perspective at the game we have grown up with and enjoy no matter where on the map we may call home, be it in Tokyo cheering for the Roughriders, in America's south rooting for the J E T S, or in Chicago cheering for Da Bears. What has brought Scott and Greg together has been their love of professional football not just in America, but in Canada where Americans make up many of the players and who for too long have gone unrecognized in their native land. In their podcast they will take on a global view of the game and seek to entertain and educate on what the game means to those who have the same passion as they do and also in the larger context of history and sports economics in the 21st Century.HOST - SCOTT ADAMSONScott Adamson hails from Birmingham, Alabama, known as the "Football Capital of the South" and a place that has hosted more pro football teams than just about any other city, none of which have been in the NFL and all that have failed. Quickly. As veteran sportswriter he can attest that being a fan, no matter the brand of team is the triumph of hope over experience. Having decided at an early age that tackle football was the greatest sport man had yet to invent, Scott took on a fan's-eye view of life with Brand X football in his book "The Home Team: My Bromance with Off-Brand Football," which is a funny, somewhat tortured, journey of a fanatic's lifelong quest for a hometown team of his own.You can find Scott at www.adamsonmedia.comScott's book on Amazon - The Home Team: My Bromance with off Brand FootballHOST - GREG JAMESGreg James hails from Chicago, Illinois, which he describes as the "Pro Football Capital of America" as it was where the NFL's oldest teams were birthed on the dirt infields of...